Mold Identification Photos: 22 Types by Look, 14 Lookalikes, Guide

Use photos to find the spot, not to name the species.

A photo can show you the spot. It cannot tell you the species.

Every card shows a typical look, not a confirmed specimen. One species can look different wet, dry, young, and old.

California’s health department says any mold you see or smell should be fixed. Mildew is certain kinds of mold, usually flat.

Quick facts:

A photo never proves a species.
Take one close up and one wide shot.

How to use these photos

Match the look, then check the moisture. Mold does not pose for the camera. It hides where the photo cannot reach.

Two photos beat one photo: one close, one wide, and the truth sits between them.

22 types by look

Color is the first thing you see and the last thing you should trust.

1. Stachybotrys

Dark greenish black, slimy when wet, powdery when dry.

Stachybotrys typical look: black growth on drywall — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Dark greenish black growth on water damaged drywall.

Long wet drywall and wallpaper. See our black mold page.

2. Aspergillus

Green, brown, black, yellow, or white. Woolly or powdery.

Aspergillus typical look: green and yellow growth near a vent — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Green and yellow powdery growth on a wall near a vent.

Wood, paper, dust, vents. Never name it from color.

3. Penicillium

White first, then blue green or pinkish. Velvety or powdery.

Penicillium typical look: blue green growth on wallpaper — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Blue green velvety growth on damp wallpaper.

Food, walls, carpet, drywall. Dry it fully.

4. Cladosporium

Olive green to brown or black. Powdery or velvety.

Cladosporium typical look: olive green growth on a window frame — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Olive green velvety growth on a moist window frame.

Sweating windows and fabrics. Fix the humidity.

5. Alternaria

Grayish white first, then dark green brown. Woolly.

Alternaria typical look: dark growth under a sink — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Dark brown and green woolly growth under a leaking sink.

Windows, showers, sinks, AC. Check for leaks.

6. Chaetomium

White and cottony, then gray to black.

Chaetomium typical look: cottony growth turning dark on water damaged drywall — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Cottony growth turning dark on water damaged drywall.

Wet drywall and wall cavities. Check inside.

7. Fusarium

White, pink, red, or tan. Fluffy or woolly.

Fusarium typical look: pink fluffy growth on wet carpet near a humidifier — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Pink fluffy growth on wet carpet near a humidifier.

Very wet carpets and humidifiers. Dry it fully.

8. Trichoderma

White with green patches. Woolly, then compact.

Trichoderma typical look: white growth with green patches on damp wallpaper — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. White growth with green patches on damp wallpaper.

Damp carpet and AC filters. Dry it fast.

9. Ulocladium

Olive brown to black or gray. Velvety.

Ulocladium typical look: dark brown velvety growth on gypsum board — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Dark brown velvety growth on gypsum board.

Chronically wet drywall. A moisture case.

10. Aureobasidium

Cream to pink, then brown and black. Velvety or slimy.

Aureobasidium typical look: pink slimy growth turning dark on a painted wall near a window — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Pink slimy growth turning dark on a painted wall near a window.

Caulk, grout, window sills. Replace grown caulk.

11. Mucor

White to gray, thick and fluffy.

Mucor typical look: white fluffy growth turning gray on damp wood — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. White fluffy growth turning gray on damp wood.

HVAC vents, damp wood. Do not name it from a photo.

12. Rhizopus

Cottony white, then black on top.

Rhizopus typical look: cottony white growth turning black on a damp surface — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Cottony white growth turning black on a damp surface.

Food mold, not wall mold. Throw it away.

13. Acremonium

White, gray, pink, or orange. Moist, then powdery.

Acremonium typical look: white and pale pink moist growth turning powdery on damp wallpaper — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. White and pale pink moist growth turning powdery on damp wallpaper.

Humidifiers and drain pans. Standing water.

14. Curvularia

White to pinkish gray, then dark. Woolly.

Curvularia typical look: woolly growth turning from white and pinkish gray to dark on plant leaves and soil — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Woolly growth turning from white and pinkish gray to dark on plant leaves and soil.

Plants and soil, not a wall type.

15. Epicoccum

Yellow to pink, then dark with black dots.

Epicoccum typical look: yellow to pink growth turning dark with black dots on old paper — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Yellow to pink growth turning dark with black dots on old paper.

Paper and textiles. Clean and dry them.

16. Wallemia

Sources disagree: brown powdery, or gray green.

Wallemia typical look: brown powdery growth on dry stored food — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Brown powdery growth on dry stored food.

Dry foods and dust. No single color is definitive.

17. Memnoniella

Dark green to black. Texture wording disagrees.

Memnoniella typical look: dark green to black growth on drywall — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Dark green to black growth on drywall.

Drywall and wall cavities. An inspection case.

18. Eurotium

Whitish to bright yellow round fruiting bodies.

Eurotium typical look: whitish to bright yellow round growth on stored textiles and leather — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Whitish to bright yellow round growth on stored textiles and leath.

Stored textiles and leather. Dry storage.

19. Scopulariopsis

White, then light brown or tan. Velvety.

Scopulariopsis typical look: white to light brown velvety growth on a damp wall — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. White to light brown velvety growth on a damp wall.

Walls, mattresses, shoes. Dry and clean them.

20. Stemphylium

Gray to brownish black. Velvety or cottony.

Stemphylium typical look: gray to brownish black velvety growth near a window — Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Gray to brownish black velvety growth near a window.

Rare indoors, mostly outside dust. Check filters.

21. Torula

Light grayish brown. Powdery.

Cellulose material. Dry damp wood.

22. Serpula

Yellow orange to red brown wavy sheets.

Dry rot on timber. Get structural advice.

White mold is a description, not a species

White growth cannot be named from a photo.

Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. White fuzzy growth on wood in a damp room.

Mucor, Rhizopus, early Penicillium, early Aspergillus, and Trichoderma can all look white.

14 lookalikes that are not mold

Mold usually sits raised off the surface. Dirt, soot, stains, and salt usually lie flat.

No household color change test can confirm what a deposit is.

Mildew. Flat film, still mold.

Efflorescence. Salt, powder when pinched. Salt on a basement wall can look like growth in a photo, and only a touch test and a moisture check separate them.

Pink slime. Slimy film, usually bacteria. Pink slime in the shower is usually bacteria, not mold, and the photo cannot settle it either.

Illustration, typical look, not a confirmed specimen. Pink slimy film on shower tiles and grout.

Dirt. Smooth, wipes clean.

Soot. Dry, powdery, smoky smell.

Ghosting. Stud lines, dry soot.

Rust. Straight streaks, flaky.

Wood stain. Deep in wood.

Mineral deposits. Crusty ring, not fuzzy.

Soap scum. Wipes off, feeds pink film.

Water stains. Flat, hard edge.

Iron bacteria. Orange pink rings at fixtures.

Paint defects. Blisters are vapor, not colonies.

Pollen. Wipes away and stays gone.

Stages: early, mature, wet, dry

The same mold looks different wet, dry, young, and old, so one picture is never the whole story.

Hidden growth: the photos you cannot take from the room

If the photo looks clean but the room smells musty, check behind the wall before you relax.

The most important photo is the one you did not take: the wall cavity, the attic, the space under the sink.

Wall cavity, drywall back, behind tile, carpet pad, HVAC.

What a photo cannot tell you

A photo cannot name the species, prove a health risk, or replace an inspection.

If you see or smell mold, find the moisture and fix the source. Our detect guide and mold testing page explain next steps.

2026: photo apps

Apps can screen a photo. They cannot confirm a species, and their own limits say so.

Mold Scanner launched September 16, 2026, with a 65 to 70 percent camera limit. Screening only.

How to photograph a spot

Send two photos, not one, and send them unfiltered.

Santa Barbara homes

Coastal damp, older homes, and weak fans are the local pattern. No local color or texture claim is made for any type.

Marine layer mornings, pre-1966 homes, weak fans. Check the fan vents outside.

When to get an inspection

Large, hidden, or recurring growth needs a scope.

Send the photo first, but let the inspection answer what the photo cannot.

Call (805) 765-0923 or visit our contact page for a free estimate.